Toy race-course device



F. L; MILLS TOY RACE COURSE DEVICE April 20 1926.

Filed Dec. 7, 1925 Patented Apr. 29,1926.

UNITED STATE innate r ce.

rs r o FRED L. MILLS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTYCOMPANY,

' OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COREOBATIQNDFILLINOIS. I

TOY RACE-COURSE DEVICE.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED L. Mnms, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a newand useful Tmprovement in Toy Race-Course Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to means for readily changing thepermutation in a toy race course of the character described in my PatentNo. 1,559,120, issued Oct. 27,1925.

The invention pertains particularly to the permutation-belt employed ina race course of the character described in the above=}n1entionedpatent, and in the combinations hereinafter set forth; The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

Fig. 1 represents a broken elev'ational view of a toy race courseconstructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, a broken plan viewof the perinutatiombelt and a racer-positioning belt employed; Fig. 3, abroken plan view on a greatly enlarged scale, showing a fragment of thepermutationbelt equipped withmy improved catch device which serves as aracer-actuating member; and Fig. 4, a broken elevational view of theparts shown in Fig. 3, the dotted lines showing the catch-member thrownto an .inoperative position.

The drawing illustrates a toy race course of the general constructionand mode of operation set forth in the above-mentioned ap plication. Toenable the present invention to be understood, it is unnecessary tofully illustrate the apparatus described in said patent.

In the drawing, A designates a series of endless race tracks disposed inparallel vertical planes, the front one of said tracks being shownbrokenly in Fig. 1; B designates a permutation-belt mounted on shafts 1and 2; G designates a rricer-positioning belt mounted on shafts 3 and4:; D designates a series of racers mounted on the parallel race tracks;and E designates a portion of a suit-. able cabinet containing theapparatus, the front side of the cabinet being provided with aviewopening, or window E.

The shaft 2 is actuated in any suitable manner, preferably by means ofan electric motor which is suitably controlled. and which will serve tomove the racers thr'iagh 7,1925. Serial ac. 73,655.

cabinet E may comprise the cabinet of the musical instrument whichcontrols the -operation of theclutch 6.1

The permutation-belt Bis provided with several series of catches, orracer-actuating devices, B. The devices B may be of the constructionillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. i

The racer-positioning belt G isequipped with a cross-men'iber 7 which isadapted to engage the catch devices with which the racers are equipped.This action occurs after the racers have passed beyond the field ofvision indicated by the window E, at which time the racersare alsobeyond the range of action of the permutation-belt.

The racer-positioning beltserves to engage the racers and return them tothe initial. end of the course, which appears at the right hand portionof Fig. 1. y v

A portionof an electric circuit is shown in F 1 and is designated 8. Itis, however, unnecessary to fully illustrate and describe the electriccircuits employed' Each of the racers D is provided with a dependingcatchmember 9 which is adapted to be engaged by one of thecatch-members, or racenactuating members, B. The members 9 may be of anysuitable construction. They maybe, for example, of the constructiondescribed in the above-mentioned patent.

The catch-members 9 with which the racers are equipped are adapted. tobe engagcd also by the member 7 of the racerpositioning belt C after theracers have passed beyond the range of action of the permutation-belt.The racer-positioning belt then serves to return-the racers to theinitial end of the course and bring them againwithin the range of actionof the permutation-belt. It will be noted that the upper and lowerreaches of the endless tracks A are-joined by semicircular end-portions10.

The purpose the improved if:

c! act uuat ing members B with which the permutation-belt is equipped isto enable any selected ones of said members to be thrown out of actionat will. Each member B comprises, preferably, a mounting plate 11secured to the permutation-belt by means of a rive-t 11 and providedwith a longitudinal slot 11"; a leaf-spring 12 secured to one end of theplate 11 by means of a rivet-12, the free end of the spring projectingover the slot 11"; and a small bell-crank lever 13 having a long arm 13,having a spring-actuated short arm 13 at an angle to the arm 13, and

having stop arms 13 adapted to bear on 16 the plate 11.

The elbow portion of the lever 13 is provided at the edgeswith integralpivots 13 which engage bearing recesses of lugs 11" which are bentupwardly from the lateral edges of the plate 11. The bearings 11 arehook-shaped bearings, the points of the hooks being spaced asufficientdistance from about the position shown in Fig. 1 and above the plate 11to enable the pivots of the bell-crank lever to be entered in theirbearings. This may be done while the bellcrank lever is lying in thehorizontal posi tion, the spring 12 being readily depressed to permitthe assembly of the parts.

The racer-actuators B areso secured to the permutation-belt that thelevers 13 may be thrown forwardly to a folded position when it isdesired to render the actuators in operative. The lever cannot swing ina reverse direction beyond a vertical position owing to the stops 13engaging the mounting plate 11.

' The operation of the apparatus is the same as that described in theabove-mentioned patent, and may be stated briefly here. The racers maybe assumed to start to return to about the same position in a cycle ofoperations, it being understood,

however, that the sequence of the racers may vary, owing to theoperation of the app'ara tus. The permutation-belt, in the illustrationgiven, travels more rapidly than the racer-positioning belt. Asindicated, the

operation of a suitable motor for driving the apparatus may becontrolled by means of a coin, if desired. In the operation, the racelactuators engage the depending projections 9 of the racers and move theracers along the upper reach of the race tracks until the racers arecarried beyond the range of action of thePQllDHtEItlOIl-bGlt. The racers--are then left in transverse alignment at the final end of thepermutation-belt and pres ently are e-ngagedby the member 7 off theracer-positioning belt 0. The member 7 engages the catches 9 of all theracers, and returns the racers to the initial end of the race course andbrings them within the range of action of the permutation-belt.

' It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the racerfor automatically changingthe relative .movements of the two belts at'regular or irregularintervals. For example, said patent describes means whereby the clutch6, shown in'the accompanying drawing, may be released when a certainnote of the musical instrument is struck, thus permitting theracer-positioning belt C to stop 1nomentarily,-so that the relativemovements of the two belts are thus varied. This results in a stillfurther variation of the" sequence of the racers. Y

In accordance withthe presentinvention, the racer-actuators B, carriedby the permutation-belt, are foldably mounted on the belt and may bethrown into use, or out of use, at will. When an actuator is folded tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. i, it

will pass under the depending projection 9 of the racer and will fail toengage it. Thus, any actuator may be thrown outof use readily whendesired. The result is to vary the spacing of the effectiveracer-actuators, that is, of the actuators which are in operativeposition at any time.

It maybeadded that the planeof the shafts 3' and i is below the plane ofthe shafts 1 and 2, so that while the racers are being returned to theinitial end of the course, the racer-actuators B will not engage theracers. Also, it may be pointedout that each mounting plate ispreferably secured to the belt B at one point only, so that it will notinterfere with-the flexibility of the belt when the belt passes aboutthe pulleys. 7 The foregoing detailed description has been given forclearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should beunderstood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed asbroadly as permissible in View of the prior art.

\Vhat I- regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

'1. Ina device of the character set forth, a series of independentlymovable racers, and a pern'iutation-belt equipped with variableracer-actuators, whereby the sequence of the racers may be readilyvaried. V '2. In a device of the character set forth, a series ofindependently movable racers, a permutation-belt, and racer-actuatorscar ried by said permutation-belt adapted to be thrown into operative orinoperative positions at will.,

3. In a device of the character set forth,

permutation-belt, and folding racer-actuators mounted on saidpermutation-belt and adapted to be thrown into inoperative position atwill.

4C. In a device of the character set forth, a series of parallel endlessrace tracks disposed in parallel relation, independently movable racersmounted on said tracks and provided with depending project-ions, apermutation-belt located between the upper and lower reaches 01 saidtracks and equipped.

with variable racer-actuators whereby the sequence of the racers may bereadily varied, and a racer-positioning belt equipped With means forengaging the projections of said racers and returning said racers to theinitial end of the course.

5. In a device of the character set forth, a series or vertical planeendless race tracks disposed in parallelrela-tion, independently movableracers mounted on said tracks and provided With depending projections, aperl'lllllltltlOIl-bfili) interposed between the upper and lower reachesof said tracks, foldable racer-actuators mounted on saidpermutation-belt, and means for engaging the racers after they havepassed the range of action of said permutation-belt and returning themto the initial end of the course and within the range of action of theinitial end of the permutatioirbelt. s

6. A permutation-belt forthe purpose set forth, equipped With a plu"ality of foldably mounted racer-actuators.

7. A racer-actuator for the purpose set forth comprising a mountingplate equipped with a spring, and a foldably mounted bellcrank leverhaving a tongue engaging sard spring and having a stop adapted to engagesaid mounting plate, whereby said lever may be folded on the plate inone direction only.

8. A. racer-actuating device for the purpose set torth comprising amounting plate having its lateral edges equipped with hookshaped lugsaffording bearings, a spring mounted on said plate, and a bell-cranklever having pivots removably engaging said bearings, having a tongueengaging said spring, and having a stop engaging said plate.

FRED L. MILLS.

